This invention relates to electrical, data, and communications distribution systems and space planning for a work environment.
The distribution of wiring or cabling for electrical service, data and communications is an important and rapidly evolving aspect of modern work place design, especially for office work environments. In many modern office systems, particularly those with sophisticated technology based work stations, it is essential to provide a high level of electrical, data, and communications service to workers for tools such as computers, printers, copying machines, fax machines, local area networks, voice mail, video, and the like. Every one of these modern tools requires at least one type of cabling. Some may only require electrical power, while others, such as a personal computer, may require electrical power, communications, and data cabling. Moreover, current trends suggest that this requirement for cabling distribution to worker stations within work spaces will only increase in the future.
The varied and increasing cabling requirements for offices with sophisticated work stations are often not met by traditional office designs. As a consequence, many such offices are poorly served by cable management or are served by makeshift or expensive solutions that provide only limited or temporary accommodation of cabling management needs.
One reason that some office designs have not kept up with modern cabling requirements relates to the boundary that has traditionally been set between where the architectural design of the building ends and where the design of the office floorplan begins. In designing office floorplans, office designers typically begin with certain structural constraints imposed by the building's architectural design. In particular, office designers start with certain permanent structural features of the building for distributing electrical power, communications, and data cabling.
One such permanent structural feature often included as part of the building is the utility closet. The utility closet typically provides for the distribution of electrical service between and among the different floors of the building. In addition to providing for the distribution of electricity, the utility closet also commonly serves as a location for the distribution of telephone or other communication service and may also provide for distribution of data service as well. A building may have more than one utility closet per floor depending upon the square footage of each floor as well as local building codes, the size of each utility closet, etc.
Distribution of electrical power, data and communications from the utility closet to the workers' locations may rely either on additional structural features provided by the building's architecture or it may utilize features added by the office designer. This distribution of cables for electrical power, data, and communications from the utility closet of the building to the worker is often referred to as "horizontal" wire distribution.
Horizontal wire distribution provided by the building's architecture is usually permanent and relatively unalterable. For example, some buildings provide subfloor conduits for horizontal wire distribution. These are constructed in a concrete floor of the building prior to the pouring-in of the concrete floor. Subfloor conduits allow cabling to be run horizontally across (actually under) a floor of a building from a utility closet to provide cabling to workers through floor "monuments" with power outlets or communications jacks.
Another type of permanent horizontal wiring distribution provided by a building's architecture includes conduits or passageway located in the walls of a building.
One drawback associated with these permanent types of horizontal wiring distribution is that replacement of existing wiring or placement of additional wires is a fairly complicated procedure requiring, for example, pulling the cables out of the conduit and pulling new cabling through. This may involve shutting down portions of the work staff during rewiring projects.
Another significant drawback associated with permanent wiring distribution systems is that their capacity is fixed as of the time they are constructed. Some buildings constructed as recently as 10 years ago were provided with horizontal wiring conduits under floors or in walls that are inadequate for the needs of the offices today. In some instances, subfloor conduits have become so full that they have been abandoned with the wires left in place.
Horizontal wiring distribution may also be provided by somewhat less permanent means, namely through a suspended ceiling, beneath a raised floor of the building, or in modular wall panels. Nevertheless, these systems also present certain disadvantages. For one thing, the cabling is relatively inaccessible in the suspended ceiling or raised floor systems. In particular, making wiring changes with a raised floor system requires the movement of office furniture and floor coverings. Likewise, in order to make wiring changes above a suspended ceiling, the workers must work on ladders that have to be positioned and repositioned around desks, cabinets, and the like. Thus, working on the above-ceiling cabling can become a major disruption to the entire office. Also, some device or structure is still necessary to bring the cabling down from above the ceiling to the worker stations, e.g. a power pole, or the like.
The constraints imposed by a building's permanent horizontal wiring distribution system, whether it is under the floor, over a suspended ceiling, through permanent walls, or a combination thereof, may be even greater when buildings are remodeled or rehabilitated. In remodelled or rehabilitated buildings, there may be fewer options for cabling distribution. The location and number of utility closets may be impossible or at least impractical to change. Also, it may be impractical to install conduits under a floor in a remodeled building. Likewise, it may also be impractical to locate cabling distribution channels in existing permanent walls of a building without extensive and costly construction. Although locating horizontal wiring above a suspended ceiling may still be an alternative, this may have the disadvantage that a suspended ceiling may not conform to the building's aesthetics or worse that there may not be room for a suspended ceiling.
One way that has been adapted for horizontal cabling distribution for use by interior designers and architects utilizes channels located in or under partition walls or panels. Examples of this approach are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,456 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,881. The types of apparatuses described in both these patents relate to wall panels to which furniture, such as desktops or cabinets, can be connected. It can readily be appreciated that the use of wall panels for horizontal cabling distribution can involve significant compromises. First of all, it may not be possible or it may be unaesthetic to locate a wall panel at the specific location where the cabling distribution is required. Another disadvantage of using wall panels for cabling distribution is that the connection of furniture such as desk tops to the wall panels, as disclosed in the '486 and '881 patents, can substantially limit access to cabling channels in the interior of the panel especially at the location at which the furniture is connected to the wall panel. Still another possible disadvantage relates to the fact that the channels and or raceways provided with wall panels are typically of a limited size. Consequently, the wall panels may not have sufficient capacity to meet the needs of sophisticated work stations.
Although the considerations addressed herein relate primarily to the office environment, similar considerations apply to other types of work place settings, such as hospitals, commercial, research, academic and light industrial. Such work places also have a need for high levels of cabling distribution and management. Such work places could also benefit from a system apart from a building's cabling distribution system, that is readily accessible for cabling distribution for sophisticated computer or communications equipment.